If you missed part 1 click here where kettlebell training was discussed.

Today we’ll move onto bodyweight training.

For some reason I’m known as a bodyweight guy. Maybe that’s because I do hand balancing and acrobatics. Maybe because of my crazy Ultimate Royal Court Challenge.

The truth is I love bodyweight exercises. They can be used to build all kinds of strength you need, not to mention endurance, mobility, flexibility and coordination.

The fact that you don’t need any equipment more than a bar to hang on for some and you are ready to go.

Some people say weights wreck your joints or don’t build true strength. While certain weighted exercises don’t work for some people, this is far from a universal truth. And I’m not sure what true strength specifically is in this phrase.

For these reasons I regularly include various bodyweight exercises into all my workouts, along with the barbells, kettlebells and more.

Each tool has its advantages and disadvantages. If you become a bodyweight only guy (been there) then you miss out of what other tools can provide you. The same is true if you just train with kettlebells or barbells.

There is one area that bodyweight exercises do miss that few people recognize.

There is just no way to replicate a deadlift motion or some sort of picking an object off the ground. Kettlebell swings are a similar movement too.

For squats you can do squats including one leg versions. For pressing or benching you have all manner of pushups including handstand variations. For rows you have pullups and inverted rows. But for deadlifts?

Many bodyweight guys argue that bodyweight exercises are more natural. In many cases this is correct. I’ll take a pullup over a lat pull down any day of the week. But you can’t tell me lifting a heavy object off the ground isn’t natural and doesn’t have uses.

So if you are a bodyweight only guy I encourage you to correct this with some sort lower body pulling movement.

By doing so you can have a well balanced program and strength.

On the flip side you have people that only lift weights. I encourage those of you in this camp to add in some bodyweight exercises. With a few well-placed exercises into your training you’ll gain that much more benefit.

What typically happens with bodyweight exercises, assuming you move past the very basics, is that you gain more coordination and control of your body (which helps more when you do lift weights).

In essence, you learn how to move better.

I believe bridging is one such area many would do well to add in. Handstands is another even if you never work on the balancing aspect.

The real trick to bodyweight exercises if progressing with them. Although sets and reps are easy to add, for many you can’t just add weight. Instead you need to manipulate the intensity in other ways.

I’ll be teaching all of the above and then some at the Super Human Workshop.

Plus as a special bonus, those that signup will get my unreleased Advanced Bodyweight Training Course which is going to be a 6 DVD set.

To get more details and sign up go here.

It’s a really cheap price with a bunch of extra goodies thrown on top to sweeten the pot. Be sure to sign up before March 31st for the early registration price.

In strength,
Logan Christopher

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It looks like a lot of people enjoyed my last post listing my top 5 training tools of 2009. There were many comments and questions so I’m going to try to respond to them today.

Sonnon with a Clubbell

Many people had some variety of leverage tool in their top five. Clubbells, maces and sledgehammers. And there was one question asking about how 1 lb. Indian clubs could possibly give a workout when the starter clubbell is 15 lbs. (BTW, Clubbell is the name of the specific tool put out by Scott Sonnon and RMAX.)

Let me start by talking about leverage tools in general. The whole idea behind them is that a relatively light weight on the end of a long lever is going to make the weight feel incredibly heavy. Depending on the weight and length of the tool will depend on what you can use it for.

Maces generally are the longest objects. They’re almost always swung with two hands and are still popular among Middle Eastern and Indian wrestlers.

Most clubs, including clubbells, are a bit shorter then the maces, but they come in a variety of weights. Depending on which one you use you can go one or two handed.

Clubs can be swung in a wide variety of ways. There are whole DVD’s and books filled with the different possible movements you can do. Any sort of swinging can bring a real three dimensional training into your program however you do it.

Indian Club Swinging

The light Indian clubs are really more of a weighted joint mobility. Done properly with certain swinging patterns you’ll be able to do moves you couldn’t possibly do with 15 lbs.

The leverage and force of the swings makes them such great tools. For this reason they are targeted in building coordination and keeping healthy more than building muscle or strength.

Neither one is better or worse, they just have different uses.

Another common implement was some sort of cables. These are a great tool and something I plan to use more in the near future.

Cables provide a resistance unlike any other. While with a weight the pull of gravity and the weight is always constant with the cable it is not so. The longer you stretch the cable the greater the resistance becomes.

There are cables of different sizes and they can be used in many ways. You can mimic standard weighted moves like presses, curls, squats and more. But cables can be used in ways that cannot be done any other way (except expensive machines) like the behind the neck pressout or front chest pulls.

The Lifeline Chest Expander

So why would you want to use cables? By this point I hope its obvious. You can target and hit muscles in ways that you can’t do any other way.

Both tools, the cables and Indian clubs, are great for rehab as well as taking preventative measures against injury.

Another common top 5 was some kind of odd object. I’ll have more on that another time.

An important thing to realize is that there is no top 5 training tools. Its going to depend on the person and their goals, to discover what should and will work best for them.

In strength,
Logan Christopher

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I figured I would do something special for the end of the year and that would be to list my top 5 training tools of 2009. It was hard to pull from all the things I use and do but I believe this is a fair list, when I look at what has been my focus in training, what have I seen results in, and what I believe has benefited me in ways that aren’t as simple as pounds and reps.

Great for shoulder and arm flexibility and health

#5. Indian Clubs

I picked up a pair of 1 lb. wooden clubs from John Wood over a year ago and I’m glad I did. I’ve used them steadily in the past year usually for sets done between presses and pullups. I find this helps to keep the shoulder girdle and elbows healthy especially when you’re lifting heavy.

You’ll also be amazed at the coordination you develop from swinging these light clubs. For me it seems like the swinging patterns I do are easy but I’m always reminded that that’s not necessarily so when my friends give them a try. I’d rank Indian Clubs as essential for working on some of the smaller muscles and attributes of fitness.

I’ve also worked some this year off and on with heavier clubbells which I enjoy too, but that’s quite different from the light wooden clubs.

Ideal tool for pullup training and more

#4. Gymnastic Rings

I would list bodyweight as a tool but some might construe that as cheating so I’m selecting a tool that is used for bodyweight training, and that’s the gymnastic rings. I haven’t delved into doing an Iron Cross or Maltese or anything that major yet, I just love them for pullups.

The natural groove of being able to rotate the hands and arms as you pull makes this exercise better then on a straight bar. You can lift more and its also better for your joints as you’re not locked into one path. This is important when you do heavy weighted pullups as I do.

My ideal tool for brute leg strength

#3. Trap Bar

Some people love squats. Some people love deadlifts. Using a trapbar is more like a combination of the two. And I find it suits my body and long limbs better than squats or deadlifts with a barbell. I have never hurt my back on the trapbar, which I can’t say the same for barbells.

I only really use it for two exercises, the deadlift and shrugs. Even if it was just for the first exercise it’s a must own piece of equipment for me. I was able to pull 200 kg. or 440 lbs. on it this year which is good progress for me.

Strength and Fun in one small nail

#2. Nails

I love short bending. Other bending like horseshoes, scrolling and braced bending is great too but I’ve stuck with short bending the longest and gotten the most out of it. In 2009 I went from barely bending Grade 5 bolts occasionally to killing them with a fair amount of ease. My best so far is to bend 15 in a workout. I also did 50 60D nails in half an hour this year.

If you’re familiar with bending you can probably guess my goal is to bend the red nail and I’m working up to it. I just got Grade 8 bolts and while my first attempt stopped me, I know I’ll get it soon.

Bending is great for not only hand and wrist strength but developing whole body strength that you can channel towards one single thing. It’s an addictive training and it can be over-done so know what you’re doing. I recommend the Diesel Crew’s Bending eBook to get started.

So many kettlebells, so many uses

#1. Kettlebells

Considering my main goal has centered around completing the Beast Challenge I’ve been using kettlebells steadily in presses, pullups and pistols throughout the year and am continuing to do so. These same moves could be done the same or similarly with dumbbells but I find that kettlebells are just plain fun. I own a lot of them so I might as well put them to good use.

However the real beauty of kettlebells comes in the ballistic exercises. Obviously I’m a big fan of kettlebell juggling but I’ve been concentrating on the 10 minute snatch test recently and just hit a big goal. More on that later. This is a place where dumbbells can’t come close to matching kettlebells.

I hope you gained something out of reading this list. If you’re inspired to go out and get one or more of these training tools all the better.

You don’t have to go into as much details but comment below and list your top five of 2009. I’d love to hear from you. Plus it may have to be something I go out and try.

In strength,
Logan Christopher

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